Rondo, Perkins play first game against each other

Rondo, Perkins play first game against each other

BOSTON -- As a former starting center, Kendrick Perkins had never practiced against the Celtics starters, let alone played against them.

He got an introduction to the opposing side on Monday night when he returned to Boston for the first time since being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder almost a year ago.

Nearly halfway through the first quarter, Perkins faced an unfamiliar task against a very familiar face -- to stop his best friend, Rajon Rondo, on a fast break.

Perkins' attempt to slow Rondo ended in a foul as Rondo ended up on the ground.

I didnt know what to expect, Perkins said following the Thunders 97-88 win. He was coming at me full speed. I was really just trying to wrap him up but he was coming so fast and I just tried to wrap him up but he kind of slipped out of my hands. But it wasnt anything where I was trying to do anything crazy to him. I just couldnt let him score on us (laughs).

After the game, Rondo, who is no stranger to hitting the ground on a fast break, shrugged it off.

It wasnt hard. I just lost my footing and hit my knee on the ground, but other than that it was nothing, he said. Im good, knee pads.

The two friends were happy to be on the same court again. Perkins came to Boston in November for Rondos charity game, but they had not been in different NBA uniforms before.

It was a good feeling, said Rondo. It was good to have him back in the building. They played great and he got the win.

Just as they did countless times over the years, Rondo and Perkins had dinner together on Sunday night. Rondo, playing the role of host, picked up the tab. Just as friends do, Perkins offered to take care of it next time.

We go to Oklahoma in a couple of weeks and its actually my birthday, said Rondo. So Im going to order a lot of bottles (laughs).

He didn’t land in New England, but he didn’t too badly, winding up with the usually competitive Ravens.

On a Thursday conference call with New England media, Weddle confirmed that there was mutual interest expressed.

“Obviously, I was interested,” he acknowledged. “I have nothing but high regard, respect and admiration – and envy, quite honestly – of the success of the New England Patriots over the years. Obviously, battling them in my career, it’s always been a great game. I love the way they play, love the foundation, love everything about it. It was definitely on my radar. There were talks both ways, it just didn’t end up [working out].”

The numbers massed at the position with Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon played a role in the two sides not being able to reach accord, according to Weddle.

“I’m good buddies with Patrick Chung,” he said. “I grew up playing with him and Devin [McCourty] is one of the best to play, so I don’t know if it would have worked out personnel-wise. But obviously, I could have seen myself fitting in there seamlessly.”

Weddle’s New England attraction apparently wasn’t love that bloomed late in his career. Toward the end of his conference call, Weddle said, “I’m still wondering why they just didn’t draft me in ’07; I could have been still playing there now.”

As reporters puzzled for a moment trying to recall the 2007 first-rounder, Weddle chipped in with the answer: “[They took] Brandon Meriweather.”

Khudobin simply ‘has got to be better’ for Bruins

Khudobin simply ‘has got to be better’ for Bruins

BOSTON – There wasn’t much for Anton Khudobin to say after it was all over on Thursday night.

The B’s backup netminder allowed four goals on 22 shots while looking like he was fighting the puck all night. It was one of the big reasons behind a tired-looking 4-2 loss to the lowly Colorado Avalanche at TD Garden.

The loss dropped Khudobin to 1-4-0 on the season and puts him at a 3.02 goals-against average and .888 save percentage this season. Three of the four goals beat Khudobin despite him getting a pretty good look at them. The ultimate game-winner in the second period from John Mitchell just beat him cleanly on the short side.

Matt Duchene beat Khudobin from the slot on a play that was a bad defense/bad goaltending combo platter to start the game and MacKinnon ripped a shorthanded bid past the Bruins netminder to put Boston in a hole against a woeful Colorado team.

Afterward, Khudobin didn’t have much to say, with just one good performance among five games played for the Black and Gold this season.

“Four goals is too much. That’s it,” said a to-the-point Khudobin, who was then asked how he felt headed into the game. “I don’t know; too much energy…yeah, too much. I don’t know. I just had a lot of energy and I think it just didn’t work out my way.”

Khudobin didn’t really expand on why he had too much energy, but perhaps it’s because the compacted schedule has really curtailed the team’s ability to hold team practices on a regular basis. Or maybe he was just disappointed it took him a week to get back between the pipes after playing his best game of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Either way Claude Julien said that the Bruins needed better goaltending on a night where they weren’t at their sharpest physically or mentally, and Khudobin clearly wasn’t up to the challenge this time around.

“We needed some saves tonight and we didn’t get them. He’s got to be better. A lot of things here that we can be better at and take responsibility [for],” said Julien. “But at the same time, you got to move on here. To me it’s one of those nights that had we been smarter from the get go, and we would have had a chance. Now we’ve got to move forward.”

Clearly, the Bruins have no choice but to move on with a busy schedule that doesn’t let up anytime soon, but one of the lessons learned from Thursday night is that the Bruins need to get better backup goaltending from a collective crew (Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban included) that’s won just once in eight games behind Tuukka Rask this season.